FOMO or JOMO?

Oh, the holidays! What a weird time, sometimes. Some of us are on leave, some of us keep working, and some of us insist on posting everything online - our trips, the gifts we got and gave, the things we ate, our resolutions…

When that impulse comes, we have two main options: leaving the social media aside to pay more attention to the real life, or not giving a damn about all that and still enjoy real life.

There are specific names used to describe these modern pathologies, phobias and anxieties that sometimes make us distressed - especially if we compare ourselves to others, as if everything people post online mean they’re all really happy, healthy and wealthy.

Now that’s quite a problem in current society, and we should pay more attention to it.

Have you ever heard of FOMO? Well, maybe you’ve not only heard about it, but felt it. The word is short for “fear of missing out”, which means nothing but the fear we feel sometimes, as if we are missing special moments, as if we’re being left out. Almost always, this is related to the comparisons we make because of everything we see online.

Try to imagine the following situation: you’re at home, after a tiresome day at work. You’re longing for some vacation, there’s no extra money for you to spend, and you insist on watching what your friends and colleagues are doing through their social media profiles. How do ou feel about all the exotic food, crazy parties and amazing resorts?

Distressed?

Impotent?

Jealous?

Or couldn’t care less?

If you really don’t care, or even feel happy for your friends’ conquers, you are definitely on a different level. You have reached JOMO - joy of missing out. You feel happy for not being part of that, and even happier for being exactly where you are, where you chose to be.

You don’t compare yourself to others, you vibrate with them for what they have conquered, you believe these people deserve their expensive vacation and incredible landscapes. You truly do. And that’s amazing!

The fear of missing “life” has been leading people to extreme measures, from debts to suicide. There’s no doubt that being unable to accompany the rhythm imposed by society and feeling out of place are quite common social issues that, when aggravated, have great consequences.

What’s worth remembering at such times is that not everything we see in the social media is true. Don’t get me wrong, but most of times it’s just what it is - a pose. Not everything that’s there is real or achievable. Most of what you see is produced.

No matter what you see posted online, if true or not, if achievable or not, please stop feeling bad because of it. Or envious, or jealous, or weak, or incapable. Stop comparing yourself to others. This is your life, and there’s no one (not even one person) like you out there. You’re one, and your story is also one. There’s no comparison.

Instead of feeling small because of what people post, be happy for them. And understand that it’s just a moment, that it will pass, and that you are also capable of living a good life in spite of all that.